relinquish
Americanverb (used with object)
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relinquishes,
present (3rd person singular)
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relinquished,
past participle, past
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relinquishing
present participle
verb
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to give up (a task, struggle, etc); abandon
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to surrender or renounce (a claim, right, etc)
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to release; let go
Synonym Usage
See abandon.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nonrelinquishmentnoun
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relinquishernoun
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relinquishmentnoun
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unrelinquishedadjective
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unrelinquishingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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relinquishsimple
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relinquishessimple
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have relinquishedperfect
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has relinquishedperfect
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am relinquishingprogressive
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are relinquishingprogressive
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is relinquishingprogressive
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have been relinquishingperfect progressive
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has been relinquishingperfect progressive
Past
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relinquishedsimple
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had relinquishedperfect
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was relinquishingprogressive
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were relinquishingprogressive
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had been relinquishingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of relinquish
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English relinquissen, relinquisshen, from Middle French relinquiss-, long stem of relinquir ≪ Latin relinquere “to leave behind,” equivalent to re- re- + linquere “to leave” (akin to lend )
Explanation
If you relinquish something, you let it go. You relinquish control of the army when you resign as general. You relinquish your plan to sneak into town when your parents find out what's going on. Relinquish is also commonly used to mean physically letting go of something: The monkey wouldn't relinquish its grasp on the banana. Relinquish descends from Latin relinquere, from the prefix re-, "again" plus linquere, "to leave."
Vocabulary lists containing relinquish
The Declaration of Independence
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The Giver
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 4
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
North Korea declared itself a nuclear power in 2022 and vowed never to relinquish its weapons, of which it is estimated, external to possess dozens.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
“Coordination, not subordination,” Sheinbaum said Friday, reiterating a motto emphasizing that Mexico will not relinquish its sovereignty in response to U.S. pressure.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Shehu and numerous land claimants have traded victories in various trials and appeals, none of which forced Shehu to relinquish the land.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
Team-mate Ernest Muci agreed to relinquish the jersey as a gesture of respect for the club's marquee signing.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
The witch tilted her head back, resting it against his shoulder as he drove forward, inch by miserable inch, each wave pulling them back, as if the sea was unwilling to relinquish its hold.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
He also said that the Board of Peace intends to take possession of Hamas’ weapons when it relinquishes them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
July 21: Israel relinquishes control of some towns in Lebanon to the country’s government after U.S.-brokered talks, though early snags include an alleged shooting by Israeli troops near Lebanese forces.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
If an individual voluntarily relinquishes all future Social Security retirement benefits, why shouldn’t they be allowed to assume that risk themselves?
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
The revised law offers greater guarantees to private players, relinquishes state control of exploration, and lowers taxes and royalties.
From Barron's ● Jan. 29, 2026
She relinquishes my arm and lifts my chin.
From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon
She was to stay in the leadership role for at least the next four seasons after the Buss family relinquished control of the team to Walter in 2025.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Just over a year earlier, Thorslund relinquished her WBC and WBO titles after becoming pregnant.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
U.S. natural gas futures relinquished intraday gains and settled fractionally lower despite a 32 Bcf weekly inventory build that landed at the low end of market estimates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
His thinking evolved during his career, but he never fully relinquished his Randian support of laissez-faire economies free from government intervention.
From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026
But the problems had fallen away, the village had thrived, and Jonas had relinquished leadership to others so that he could take up an unburdened life with his family.
From "Son" by Lois Lowry
The family behind Lodge has no interest in relinquishing ownership of the company, said Lodge Chairman Jay Daniel, a fifth-generation family member and founder of an IT company.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
Washington, meanwhile, famously made relinquishing power part of his own legacy.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
The rescue center argued that Bruce’s owners should have notified and surrendered the dog to them before relinquishing control to animal services.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
The 46-year-old, the son-in-law of the Indian billionaire businessman Lakshmi Mittal, had been a director and co-owner of Queens Park Rangers for 18 years before relinquishing his stake in the club on Tuesday.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
“Let it go!” says Beetee, throwing up his hands, relinquishing the broadcast back to the Capitol.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
